1 41973

.Pootville, Wisconsin"
i)eceml?sr 1, 1973
/V Q give thanks to -the -Lord, ?
' Call on His name, . . . = - ,
' 'Make known'His deeds-among the people. ;
Dear Christian .Friends; , . , - , .
'We.praise God for each of,,you an4 praise Him'for a wonderful furlough. It
Hardly seems .possible that .nearly five" month9r'0^'"lt;;-haa^assed already and in about
a month we .will be. back, home in Japah|, t^'rif wiTlTngT'^^^ have been conscious
of His protecting and guiding arm through all our travels and Hl^ love shown through
the many friends who have been so kiiiito us.
Arriving two hours late at .nigh"t in Los Angeles we were met by Warren Chris
tiansen (who spent a year in Jap.'m near our area) and his friend who took us. to
the home of,-Wf5. Harvey Beard,, where we .relaxed' for two days,'and took Ruth to see
Maxineland.and.Disenyicind, Thajiks to V/krren and Eileen again we .took the plane for
San Francisco to visit daughter Mairy and Ethel'*s brother Kenneth and his family.
We were also able to see Pr jl.ine Lass and Karlyn Jaime (daughters of Martin and' ''
Evelyn Clark) and their families. Ethel's sister, Alice, also'came to San Fran
cisco,-and Ethel'was able^ to go to the^hospital with her for her check-up. on^a very
rare'desease (Lou Gherig desOase).
Because our plane was late , leaving S^n Francisco, we mis.sed our flight frOm
Denver to Manhattan, Kansas, where we were to pick up John's car to "use while here.
During the six hour wait'fbr the next flight we were able.to visit a while with
Ethel's youngest brother Lloyd and^his wife Betty. . t , .
The following day after a brief visit"to'Manhattan Christian College where
Ruth was to enroll, we drove to Mountain Grovej-Missouri to.spend a delightful week
end with 'our former^'forwarding-agents, Oden-.and Rema Brown.
We_^rive_ in Foptville,.j;uly 31|.Jo an apartment fuimished^by the Church of
Christ'here.- ' ''=
After,a week's' stay here we werp on o.ur way to:,Rochester, Mihnespta, to spend
a few days with daughter Jehann.' Tiien after an overnight, stay^ .in'Trum'^, Minn- '
esota, VQ went to South Dakota to visit George's family. From'there we vr'eht "again
to Kansas to enroll Kuth"in' 'c'Ollege,.-stopping on the' -way: to visit. Ken, and Martha
Endevsy Nebraska Christian Collt..ge.,Mrs. Bili Miller ^and family, all in. Norfolk,
and the-Virgil-Mars-halls' in-Wymore,.' Thanks to- the hospitality of the- Robert Mar.tina-
we were, able to. .spend; a-, .few. days. in .Manhattap with. Ruth as .she registered and to
visit, the, ..'Crestvxew Church'-there-;- ....
From Manhattan we drove to Lincoln- Christian Chiarch, Worthington, Indiana,, for-
their Centenir'.a.! celebration; and homecoming, August 2$, Then o..i we went to Ohio
to visit pur .co; V'crl:?-j:. Mr,. .Fa.kanb. at Cincinnati. Bible Semin-ary Mr. a.rd Mrs. Lewis
Foster, Mr,. ao'I Ik's. .L.---cnard-V.ympre .in,.Cincinnati, and fon.-r leViow ia.'bore'rc from"
Japan, Donnie and C-iarlc'tto M5ngs and Claude and'Eys-lyn Liki'ns,! On.o'ur r-i-iurn to
Wisr...->ns.in v.-o visited the Surprise Church and the Freetown Church and Traders Point
Christian Church-in Indiana. - ; " "i'
September 9 was homecoming for us at Footville with a pot-luck dinner at noon.
The following week was spent v/ith Central.Christian Church, Beloit, Wisconsin and
Mr. and I'lrs. Jerry Lea?enb,yf our ^acious hosts for the \;eek.
The next weekend found us again in .South Dakota to attend the wedding of
George's niece. On our return to Wisconsin we stopped at the churches in Mitchell
and Hurori,.South Dakota, and Dakota Bible College. We visited Hazel Eckman and
Lou Petty in Kimball, Minnesota, Ethel*s niece and husband and the church in Dassel,
Minnesota and again with Jenann in Rochester,
The first week of October was spent, with Central Christian Church in Waukegan,
Illinois, guests in the home of Stephen, ^ndvl^anay. Willis, and fed by many of the
good members. During this week \the annual meeting of our directors followed a
sukiyaki dinner prepared by Ethel with "Wie-.help of some of the women of the church.
After an overnight stop in Jacksonville, Illinois, with the Cosners, we were
again at Manhattan Christian College, taking part in their Missions Emphasis Week,
sharing the program with Gene Dulin of Toronto*Christian Mission and Ron Hoffman
from.the Phillipines, It was a real joy to see the enthusiasm and interest of the
students in the seminars and messages. We were guests of Mr, and Mrs, Robert
Martin and Mr, and Mrs, Donn"Leach,
V/e made a detour to visit the Paul Nielsen and Howard Davis families at Mid
west Chrstian College" and Carol Mings Elliot and her family. By the time we had
retiimed to Footville we had visited, nine of our^JifelewTColleges since our return in
July,. Six of these had moveS' t o^ew' campus"es*in'"recent years and the other three
had been or were in the process of expanding their facilities*. Praise the Lord
for the growth of these colleges and for the young people who are being trained in
them to be soul winners. ,
The last week of October was spent with Central Christian Church, Rockford,
Illinois in their School of Missions where Mr. and Mps. Bill Wiseley were our hosts
and we were abundantly fed by many of the members. The week of missions study and
challenge ended on Friday eyenin^ with'a sukuyaki dinner for about' eighty people.
Sunday, November 4 we visited the church at Hoffman Estates near Chicago and
we were guests of the John Pingles whom .we had known in Waukegan, And we remember .
John making a very speical effort to visit us in Nishinomiya,
Another great week was spent in Footville -in their Faith Promise Rally, It was
joy and privilege to share in the victory the Lord gave them in exceeding their
goal of over $19-,000 for" missions~with~total commitments adding up to ,-1-59-60. --
The following week we were privileged to share in a Faith Promise Rally at the
Traders Point Church, .Indianapolis, where we were guests of Mike and Becky Dunn,
newlyweds. Twenty-six years ago we were married in this city and some of the
members had attended our wedding,'
We have a special note of thanks for Dick, and Margaret.Saevre for. having all
of Ethel's family for Thanksgiving dinner. Forty-two of us gathered in their
basement to partake-of the customary Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings.
On No-vember 27 we flew to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to visit Ethel's brother
Roy and faunily. The trip was a gift from the Central'Christian Church*in Rockford.
Our praises to God for such thoughtful- friends,
The rest of the time we hope to visiV-^J^ our familiie^Jtere, speaking only on
Sundays through the first part of December, f On January 8 w^are scheduled to leave
Los Angeles for home in Japan. We will take^4j^^ with^i^S(-i!l&ny precious memories
of our times with you here and grateful hearts for fKe love and concern shown to us.
We pray God's richest blessings may be yours through the coming New-year. May
His peac.e and joy reign in your hearts. ,
'In Christ, ' . '
y ciU/^
' " The Beclonans